Thread by @loishh

ok so here's what I've learned about my injury (diagnosed as tennis elbow, caused from drawing too much) since posting about it back in 2014.

once you get an injury like this, where your arm or wrist hurt too much to continue, you have to just STOP and rest. even if this means sacrificing deadlines, work, school assignments, etc. there's really no other option for getting better.

just wait as long as it takes. it WILL get better, if you are just patient and focus on taking care of yourself. stop trying to draw, write, text message, e-mail, etc. this was the hardest for me... accepting that I needed to just chill out and patiently wait.

after waiting for 2-3 months, and limiting drawing to 3-4 hours a day in the months after that, I got better. I would go into phases where I drew intensively again, and then the pain would come back. I had these relapse type phases a few times since the initial injury in 2014.

so I had to learn to slow down and let go of the way I used to work. I can't do that anymore. the motto is 'slow and steady' - this is the only way I can maintain drawing in the long term! I HAVE to slow down when I feel the pain returning (which is rarely nowadays).

the main thing I realized, looking back, is that although the problem felt purely physical (it's an injury and so stretches/massage/dry needling/whatever else will fix it), it really wasn't. It was a pyschological issue.

because I didn't often get this type of arm pain when I was drawing for myself. If I was spending a few weeks on personal work, or a client project that was really laid-back and fun, I almost never had issues with my arm.

I usually got this type of pain when I was doing client work for big clients. Big names in the industry. I was putting a LOT of pressure on myself to prove that I'm good enough for them. I wanted to go the extra mile to make sure that I got their approval.

I didn't even conciously realize it at the time. I have a pretty strong and structured work ethic so I felt I was just 'working hard,' and meeting my goal of being a professional and committed artist. It was only when this injury happened that I started to see the patterns.

My mind was in a loop, thinking "I have to prove myself!! work harder!!" and because of those thoughts, I was squeezing my pen too hard, my shoulders were tightened, my posture was cramped, and I was not taking any breaks. so I would work myself back into the injury situation.

And once the pain in my arms/shoulders/neck/etc returned, I had to slow down and couldn't even do personal artwork that I enjoyed anymore because any type of drawing would make it worse. it always STARTED with client work.

so I faced these subconcious beliefs I had. was it worth it to sacrifice my health for these big companies? I saw that they didn't even USE all of my sketches - sometimes they were just tossed on a pile and forgotten. this is how the concept art process works sometimes.

I also tested the waters, seeing how they would react if I told them "no, sorry, can't do those extra sketches you asked for. I don't have the time." I learned that they were kind and understanding, and never insisted that I go past my own boundaries.

I learned that the main person pushing myself past my own boundaries was ME! I didn't believe in myself. I was pushing myself to the limit and wasn't allowing myself to have a break, to just feel like what I had done was good enough. To let it go and just get some rest.

so anyway, long story short, I learned to change my mindset after discovering which thoughts and beliefs were creating the situation where my injury would take hold. I can't say I NEVER have that problem again - it pops up sometimes -

- but I've learned to be patient and allow my arm to heal at its own pace, and also to focus on the mindset & psychological issues that create the injury, not so much on things like trigger point massage, braces, ice, etc. those won't FIX the problem - they'll just relieve pain.

so my advice to artists is: become more aware of your mindset. try mindfulness / therapy / talking to friends/family/etc about your thoughts while you draw. try to step outside of yourself & cast a more objective view on negative thoughts you have during your creative process.

for me, this was the main lesson I got out of the injury and I'm genuinely grateful that I experienced it because it made me a wiser person, and more relaxed in general. and it gave me tools to deal not only with arm pain but with many challenges that life throws at me!

I think the same advice applies to people going through a burn-out, psychological problems, art block, or other hurdles that can impede our creativity. there's a similar pattern to these struggles. and most people go through them at some point or other.

ok, that's the end of my rant! take care of yourself, artist friends!! <3